GUARD (spotting smashed case): We are too late! It's gone!
(One week later. Pete's mansion. Training room. The five and Pete are in the room. The five are shown, standing side by side. Jaguar is outrunning a treadmill; Josh is next to him with his arms as long rock-climbing ropes with the claws on the ends. Next to Josh is Cole who is forming ice between his hands and bending it into his own shapes. Zack is doing the same with fire, and Kara is dressed in a martial arts uniform performing moves that even the highest professionals couldn't.)
PETE: Perfect! We have only taken a week to do this and I believe the five of you couldn't get any better at using your powers! You are now almost an immortal unit!
KARA: Wait, I think I heard the word "almost".
JOSH: I did, too.
ZACK: Are you saying we need more training? I mean I've already skipped like three football practices just this week.
PETE: Oh no, not more physical training. But there is one thing that I must talk to you about. This is the one reason you are not and never will be immortal. Follow me.
(Pete leads the five into his Invention Room. He presses a button on a supercomputer and a picture of the Dark Pearl appears on the screen.)
PETE: This is the Dark Pearl. As you can see, it is about the size of a baseball.
JAGUAR: And it's black.
PETE: Good observation. Now, the Dark Pearl has a power of its own, a power even more powerful than yours. The Dark Pearl can be used by anyone to absorb a person into it. The person who holds the Pearl would then have the strengths, knowledge, powers, any properties of that person's, whether mental or physical, for himself. You are not invulnerable to this.
COLE: Wow. So if someone absorbs me into it, they would have my ice powers AND be extremely smart.
PETE: Precisely.
ZACK: So that means if someone absorbed Austin they'd be almost unstoppable since he has so many powers.
PETE: Not exactly. Because Austin's jewel contains so many powers, he is too strong to be absorbed by the Pearl; however, he could use it to absorb others.
JOSH: So it's not a good thing that he and Zack had that fight last week, huh?
PETE: You two still haven't made up?
COLE: No. Zack likes to hold grudges.
ZACK: Okay, let's stop picking on Zack now okay?
PETE: I'm afraid they're right, though, Zack. I mean the Dark Pearl is kept under extreme security, but Austin could get by any security system easily. What if he did get hold of it?
ZACK: I don't know. Then I guess we're screwed. Are you happy now?
JOSH: Well I mean we do outnumber him.
COLE: Wait. Why are we talking about this? Pete just said the Dark Pearl was under extreme security. You guys are talking as if Austin has it now.
PETE (laughing it off): Cole is right. I'll show you right now how much security it has on it anyways.
(Pete types "Live Security: Dark Pearl" on his computer. A camera comes up, and instead of a high security room with the Pearl in it, Pete sees a clean-up scene on screen.)
PETE (panicking): Where's the Pearl?
(Ten minutes later. Pete is searching through his books of prophecies.)
PETE: I should have seen this coming. Josh, didn't you say Austin is your half-brother? Not your full brother?
JOSH: Yes.
PETE: Yes, then the prophecy is coming true. I tried to stop it by making you all join together as one group. I should have seen as soon as he left that this would happen.
ZACK: Okay, could you clue us in on what you're talking about?
COLE: Yes, none of us know the prophecy.
PETE: Here it is. It's the Battle of the Half-Brothers, in a battle of Good vs. Evil.
JOSH: The what?
PETE: The prophecy dates back three thousand years. It's a battle for the Dark Pearl. One half-brother is on the good side, while the other is on the dark side. The two half-brothers end up fighting to the death over the Pearl. I tried to stop it by getting you all to join together.
ZACK: Well I can see that didn't work.
KARA: Wait. Don't you guys think we're jumping to conclusions?
PETE: On the contrary, Kara. The Dark Pearl has gone undisturbed for three thousand years. The Germans tried to take it during World War II, but were unsuccessful, because there was no one-on-one battle between two half-brothers for it.
JAGUAR: Wait, you said one-on-one. If the battle is one-on-one, where do the rest of us fit in?
PETE: That is one thing I do not know. The books don't tell.
JAGUAR: Well, Josh is my best friend. So if the "books don't tell" where I'm going to be for this battle, then I'm going to be by Josh's side, fighting alongside of him.
COLE: Me too.
KARA: I agree.
ZACK: And Austin being on the other side makes it that much better. I'm in.
JAGUAR: Okay, you seriously need to get over that grudge.
PETE: I believe it is a little late for that. (To Josh) Okay, Josh it's time to get some practice in. This way you will be more prepared than he is.
ZACK: Speaking of practicing, I have missed too many football practices. I've got to go now.
PETE: You need a ride?
ZACK: Um, I drove here, remember?
PETE: Ah, precisely.
SCENE: Friday night. Washington High football game. Zack is playing, while the other four are sitting together in the bleachers.
COLE: This is the first football game I've been to since I quit the middle school band.
JOSH: Really? I come to most of them, although I can't keep up with the stats.
JAGUAR: Seeing all of those people running out there is making my adrenaline race. I could just run out there and race every one of them right now.
JOSH: That wouldn't be a very fair race.
KARA: Hey, I hate to interrupt, but what is he doing here?
(Kara points to another section in the bleachers, where Austin is sitting by two girls.)
JAGUAR: Maybe he came to watch the game.
KARA: I doubt that. He and Zack aren't getting along, remember?
JAGUAR: I thought Zack said he would apologize for overreacting and try to get Austin to come back to us and return the Pearl?
KARA: He did say that, but he hasn't done it yet.
JAGUAR: Ah, okay.
COLE: Well, Kara's got a good point. I think we need to keep an eye on Austin and see what's going on.
(The game continues. Austin is still sitting on the bleachers until the end of the game.)
KARA (huddles with the other three): All right, now we need to keep an eye on Austin until he leaves. Then it will be safe.
COLE (breaking from the huddle): I see you have gotten into the sports spirit. Wait, where is Austin?
JOSH: He's with those girls, remember? They're over th-where'd they go?
KARA: Oh great! We lost him!
(Off in the distance, Zack is walking down the sidewalk in his pads. He brushes by one of the people walking the opposite direction.)
FOOTBALL FAN: Good game, man!
ZACK: Thanks.
(The football fan continues to walk. Zack spots someone standing behind a corner. He walks over to see who they are.)
ZACK: Oh, hey man! What's up?
(The figure is holding the Dark Pearl. The figure holds it up and a luminous light shines from it.)
ZACK: Wait, what are you doing, bro?
(The light shines on Zack, and within moments he is sucked into the Pearl. The figure then hides the Pearl in its bag, and continues walking on like normal.)
KARA: Hurry! Someone find Zack! He may be in danger!
JOSH: I'll go this way!
JAGUAR: I'll go with you.
JOSH: No, you go that way! Hurry!
COLE: Wait, everyone, stop!
KARA: Why?
COLE: Don't you guys think that splitting up would put the rest of us in even more danger?
KARA: He's right.
COLE: Okay, guys. L
ook, Zack came up here with the football team, so he'll be leaving with the team. The rest of us should go back to Pete's and tell him what happened so that he can help us out. Who knows? Maybe it's a big misunderstanding. But if anyone knows anything, it'll be him.
KARA: You're right, Cole. We're definitely overreacting.
JAGUAR (laughing): Yeah. You guys were acting like a bunch of girls.
(Kara smacks Jaguar on the back of the head.)
SCENE: Back at Pete's mansion. The four have told Pete their story.
PETE: So Zack goes missing after Austin disappears? Is that what you're saying?
KARA: Exactly.
PETE: Are you sure that maybe he didn't get on the bus or something?
COLE: But the team was still out there; they weren't boarding the buses yet.
PETE: Well let's play it safe. You four stay the night here, especially you, Josh, since you live with Austin. We'll see if Zack makes it back here or to his house and if he doesn't by morning we'll come up with a plan.
KARA: Good idea.
SCENE: The next morning. The four are in sleeping bags in the floor. Cole sits up quickly.
COLE: Zack?
(Kara hears Cole and wakes up.)
KARA (sitting up slowly): Is he here?
COLE: No. He's not in here.
(Josh and Jaguar both sit up slowly.)
KARA: Good, you're both up. Zack still isn't here.
JOSH: Maybe he got here after we all went to sleep.
JAGUAR (swaying back and forth out of weariness): Impossible. I didn't get any sleep last night.
KARA: None at all?
JAGUAR (still swaying): No. I didn't have my Superman pajamas.
COLE: Your what?
JOSH: He's serious, guys. He can't sleep without his Superman pajamas.
KARA: Are we in kindergarten or something?
COLE: Okay, guys. Let's keep our eye on the prize, here. Zack is missing.
KARA: You're right. Let's tell Pete. Maybe he found Zack and we're just being paranoid.
(The four go to Pete's room, where he is repairing one of his machines.)
PETE: My condolences; did my noise wake you up?
KARA: No, it's fine.
PETE: So, I guess you guys have noticed Zack hasn't returned.
COLE: Yes, we have. Has he come in here?
PETE: I'm afraid not. That's why I'm repairing this machine.
JOSH: What is it?
PETE: It's the Mesopotamian Jewel Tracker 5000. I used it to find you guys, and I'll use it to find Zack.
KARA: Will it work?
PETE: Of course it will. (He finishes screwing one last screw.) There! The repair is complete!
KARA: Perfect!
PETE: Now we will test it out. (He looks in a giant book for a numerical code for Josh's jewel and then types in 249. The machine shows that the location of Josh's jewel was at Pete's address.) Perfect! It works!
COLE: What was that?
PETE: Well, Mister Parker, each jewel has its own three-digit numerical code. I typed in your friend Josh's here and it showed this exact address. Since Josh is standing right here next to you, it worked. Now I will type in your brother's.
JAGUAR: That's a cool machine.
PETE (looking in the book): It sure is. (He types 019 into the machine. It sits for a minute or two, showing "LOADING" on the screen. Finally it shows the two words "LOCATION UNKNOWN."
KARA: Okay, remember what Jaguar just said earlier? Well I'm taking it back. That's a crappy machine.
PETE: Actually, it is quite the opposite.
COLE: Wait, so does that mean that Zack is lying under the radar?
PETE: Absolutely not. There is not a single place in the entire Milky Way Galaxy hidden from this machine here. (Pats the machine joyously)
COLE: Okay, well, obviously Zack hasn't escaped the Milky Way Galaxy within one night.
KARA: Are you sure?
COLE: I can't believe you just asked that.
JAGUAR: Okay, since everyone else is avoiding the question I'll ask. Is Zack dead?
PETE: Definitely not. Zack had no children, which means that he had no one to pass the jewel to, and the jewel would have died. Instead of saying the location was unknown, the machine would have said the words "JEWEL NONEXISTENT".
KARA: So there is only one thing that could have happened.
PETE: Precisely.
JAGUAR (eating from a box of cookies): I'm sorry, what was that? I missed that last part.
(Josh smacks him on the back of his head.)
COLE: Wait, so it's true.
KARA: Zack was sucked into the Dark Pearl!
PETE: I'm afraid so.
COLE: Well, what are we going to do?
PETE: I already told you guys. The Battle of the Half-Brothers is the only way.
KARA: And what do you expect us to do, Pete? Do you want us to just sit back and watch Josh battle Austin?
PETE: I don't know what you are to do.
COLE: Or maybe we are supposed to get sucked into the Pearl with Zack!
JOSH: What!?
(Jaguar drops his cookies and gasps. He begins to choke. Josh starts hitting him on the back.)
KARA: That's not going to happen.
PETE: It is quite possible that he's right!
KARA: No. I am not going to let that happen to any of us. It may have happened to Zack, but not to the rest of us. We are going to save Zack together. Who is with me?
OTHER THREE: I am!
PETE: I sure hope your plan works.
KARA: Oh, it will. Pete, can we stay here until the battle?
PETE: I'd be delighted. It would help me assure your safety. Plus, you four will need additional training if you want to defeat Austin. He's the most powerful person on earth, you know, especially with that Dark Pearl in his possession.
KARA: Great. We do need to go back to our own houses to pack some things, though.
JAGUAR: I do need my Superman pajamas.
PETE: Okay, but you four should go together, in case of Austin. Josh especially needs you guys with him in case Austin is home when you four get there.
SCENE: Later. The first three have already picked up their belongings and the only person left is Josh. They are just outside Josh's house.
KARA (looking in the window): It looks like we have company.
JOSH: Who, Derek?
KARA: No, it's Austin. He's watching TV in there.
(Cole begins to breathe harder.)
JOSH (to Cole): Okay, breathe slowly, Cole. You have to stop being afraid of Austin.
COLE: I'm sorry, you're right. It was just a reaction. I'm okay.
KARA: All right, Josh. It's now or never. Let's go.
JOSH: No, Kara. If he sees us all together he'll know something is up. I'll go by myself. You three just keep an eye on me through the windows. If anything happens, call Pete.
COLE: Josh is right. Now's not the time to take Austin on.
JAGUAR: Someone is a little scared, aren't they?
KARA: Okay, you guys, stop it. Let's get serious. Are you sure you want to go alone, Josh?
JOSH: I'm sure.
KARA: All right.
(Josh slowly opens the door and walks into the house. Austin doesn't even look at him, so Josh walks down the hallway. He quickly packs his bag and walks back down the hallway.)
The Dark Pearl Chronicles 1.1: Battle of the Half-Brothers Page 3